[Nettime-bold] HOW THE WINNERS RE-WRITE HISTORY

["MR JAVIER BERNAL" <988005350@98.lincoln.ac.uk>]

HOW THE WINNERS RE-WRITE HISTORY
or Constantine the Great, an Albanian

Thanks to CNN and propagandist as Nalini Lasiewicz (you can read her at 
http://www.egroups.com/group/democracy_institute/8.html? ), this kind of 
lies are being spreading. Why? Just think by yourself. Even if you prefer to 
believe their words, do a favour yourself and read about History.

Javier Bernal
University of Lincolnshire

--------------------------------------------
RE "the Emperor Constantine the Great, an Albanian" as writen by Nalini 
Lasiewicz in 
http://www.egroups.com/group/democracy_institute/8.html?

---------

Constantine the Great  (306-337) was born in Naissos (Nis) of Serbia at a 
time were the terms "Albania" and "Albanian" simply were not in use for this 
place, but for the land where today lies Dagestan and Northern Azerbaijan. 
Albania started to be called "Albania" since the 11th century after Christ, 
and only in 16th century this term prevails.
Constantine's father, Constantius, was born in Illyria, but I have no clues to
documentate that he was an Illyrian himself, because the coasts were 
inhabited by Greeks who had flourishing colonies (Apollonia, Epidamnus 
etc.) since the 7th century before Christ. Many Greeks were also living in 
Illyria's mainland. 
Constantine's mother, Helen, was a Greek from Drepanon, Bithynia, Asia 
Minor. But who were the Illyrians? They are considered to be the progeny of 
a mediterranean race and of Indo-European races, who came in Illyria during 
the second half of the 2nd millennium before Christ. These alleged Indo-
European ancestors of Illyrians are said to be relatives with the Greek 
Achaeans as well as with the Venetians and Messapians, who settled in 
Italy. Illyrians were considered as semi-barbarians from their neighbors and 
were occupied in piracy in the Adriatic.
However Illyrians were constantly mingled with other races.
Nowadays Albanians belong to two main branches, the Gegs, who come 
mostly from the (mixed) ancient Illyrians, and are influenced mostly from 
Catholicism, and the Toscas, who come from intermarriages with Greeks 
from Macedonia and Epirus, and are influenced from Orthodoxy. There are 
also the Chams and the Liapis, who are more closer to Greeks than to 
Illyrians.

Conclusion 1: Constantine the Great cannot be considered as a foolblood 
Illyrian. He is either half an Illyrian (because of his Greek mother) or not an 
Illyrian at all, if his father Constantius was not an Illyrian as well.

Conclusion 2: Even if Constantine is partially an Illyrian, ancient Illyrians are
ancestors of the nowadays Albanians only IN PART. So no one can call 
Constantine an "Albanian". AND Constantine never made Christianity the 
"official religion of the Roman Empire". This was done by Theodosius on 
380. Constantine only legislated religious tolerance: Christians were not 
persecuted anymore and their Church could succeed to legacies and to 
organize charities.

As far as I know, Serbs inhabited Kosovo in 680. The Byzantine chroniclers 
refer only to Serb and Horvats in this territory, and they had no reason to 
hide the existence of Albanians, if there was any. The only thing that relates 
Albanians to Kosovo is that Kosovo was included in Serbia, and Serbia was 
included to the territory called "Illyrian" by the Romans. This does not mean 
that Illyrians were living in Kosovo. Since there is no Albanian word for 
Kosovo ("Kosova" means absolutely nothing, and is a corruption of the Slav
word "Kosovo", which means "valley of the blackbirds"), it seems that 
Albanians came later in this area.

Scanderberg was a Tosca, or "Greek Albanian"."Scander", that means 
Alexander, was the name that the Turks gave him when he converted to 
Islam. When he escaped from them and became a Christian again, he used 
his Greek Christian name: George Castriotis. He obviously had little 
relationship with nowadays Kosovo Albanians, who use to rape nuns and  to 
burn Christian churches.

Sorry for any typos and incorrect writing,
                                                 Maria <maridim@altavista.net>

--------end of forwarded text---------




-------------
"All the lands,
in their diversity, are one,
and men are all
neighbours and brothers"

al-Zubaidi, tutor
of the andalusi Caliph
al-Hakam II 


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